Encirclement Tactics: Russia's Strategic Advances in Ukraine

Russia has surrounded Ukrainian forces in Pokrovsk and Kupiansk, urging them to surrender due to dwindling chances of survival. Using pincer movements and chaos-inducing tactics, Russia has gained significant territorial control. Contradicting Ukrainian claims, Russia's military asserts a deteriorating Ukrainian position, advancing strategically in the Donbas region.

MOSCOW, Nov 5 (Reuters) - In a strategic move, Russia has declared that Ukrainian troops in Pokrovsk and Kupiansk are encircled and must surrender, as retreat options diminish. The capture of these cities is part of Russia's ongoing campaign to control the Donbas region, where Ukrainian forces still retain approximately 10% of the territory.

Departing from previous frontal assault strategies, Russian forces have utilized pincer movements to nearly encircle Ukrainian troops, employing small, highly-mobile units and drones to disrupt Ukrainian logistics. This tactic has created a contested 'grey zone' difficult for Ukrainian forces to defend, despite not providing full control to either side.

According to battlefield maps, Russian forces are close to completely encircling Pokrovsk and have made significant inroads into Kupiansk, advancing along the main route. Russia's defense ministry refutes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's claims that only 60 Russian soldiers remained in Kupiansk, highlighting a rapid deterioration of the Ukrainian position and predicting inevitable surrender unless the troops retreat.